


artifacts of the past

by AstrologicalGem



Series: "hey, kid" [3]
Category: Snowpiercer (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Bisexuality, F/M, Gen, Healing, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multi, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 01:46:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30031140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstrologicalGem/pseuds/AstrologicalGem
Summary: Melanie and Layton discuss the past. Bennett fills in some of what happened.
Relationships: Benett Knox & Andre Layton, Melanie Cavill & Andre Layton, Melanie Cavill & Javier "Javi" de La Torre & Bennett Knox, Melanie Cavill & Wilford, Melanie Cavill/Bennett Knox
Series: "hey, kid" [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2201496
Kudos: 19





	artifacts of the past

Melanie sits down on her bed; Layton sits down, across from her, hands folded in his lap.

"So." He begins, holding a notebook in his hands. "You've been back for a few days."

"Yeah," Mel shrugs. "What about it?"

Layton takes a breath, opening the notebook. "Wilford told us...some things about you. When you were gone."

Melanie laughs quietly, smirking. "He'd say anything if it meant you guys would leave me. And you did, don't think I forgot that." 

He looks down, face falling. "I know, Melanie. And I'm sorry, you know I am, you know Ben and Javi are. And Alex."

"I know. But anyways..." Mel looks up at the ceiling. "What do you want?"

"What was your involvement? With him, before the Freeze. He said a lot, and Ben and Javi...they know a lot, but not enough to explain anything. And I wanna hear it from you, before anyone else says anything."

Melanie takes a breath. "Layton, you don't want to get involved with it. What happened with us is old shit, just water under the bridge." 

"He said he saved you from killing yourself. Melanie, if that's true, then that's something that needs to be discussed with-"

"He didn't fucking do that." Melanie buries her face in her hands. "He didn't."

"Okay, well...what happened, instead?"

She sighs. "Layton...please, just drop it. I said it's water under the bridge, and that's all it ever needs to be with us." 

"Melanie. If he's lied about anything, we need to know about it. Who knows what else he's lied about."

"He lies about everything, you know that. But I'm not talking about that. It's between me and him, it's been between me and him for 30 years. "

Layton sighs, raising an eyebrow. "30 years?"

"Yep." She pops the 'p', rolling her eyes. 

"You met him when you were...17? 18?"

"17." She looks down. "And that is the last you will ever hear from me, when it comes to talking about that." 

"Jesus, Mel, you were a kid."

"You don't think I don't know that?"

Layton outstretches a hand to her. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No." She pushes his hand back. "Just drop it, Layton. If he wants to talk, he'll talk to me about whatever it is." She stands up, staring down at him. "I'll be going now. I need to be at the helm."

\----

Layton goes back to the Engine later, when it's just Bennett at the helm. "Hey."

Bennett turns around in the chair, looking at the other man. "Hey. What's wrong?"

"Who says anything is wrong?" Layton sits down in the chair that Javi usually occupies. "Mel won't say anything about Wilford. I tried to get her to talk about it, and she refuses."

Ben laughs, quietly. "Well, you know her. Stubborn as hell...don't push her to talk about it if she isn't ready. I don't know a lot about what happened, but it was...rough, for a while there. Wilford'll talk about it for as long as it gets him attention, but Melanie...she's got her boundaries."

"I know, and I respect them, just..." Layton scrubs a hand over his face. "It does her no good to keep all of it inside. And if we know some more about what happened, we could hit him where it hurts."

Bennett shakes his head. "Doubtful. He doesn't regret what he did, I know that. He holds it over her head, over all of our heads. And you'd only be hurting her again, trying to exploit that."

"You know what it is?" Layton leans forward. 

"Yeah. I know what the story they passed off was, at least. More than anyone else, probably, Melanie's at least told me parts of what was true." Ben looks over at Layton, seeing the look on his face. "I'm not telling you, if that's what you're after. What happened is her choice to tell you." He turns around in his chair again, staring out at the track ahead of them. "Don't exploit what happened. Not to hurt Wilford, that'll only hurt Melanie. And she doesn't deserve that."

"I know." Layton nods, taking that as his cue to leave. He passes by Melanie's room as he leaves the Engine, and he thinks for a minute. There's no noise coming from there, though, and he smiles. She needs the rest, he knows that. And maybe, with rest, things will get better. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me @onetrainsnowpiercer


End file.
